ERT solidarity letter from Portugal, signed by 78 personalities – also ex President Sampaio

Jorge Sampaio, former President of Portugal,  and 77 personalities from politics and culture express their solidarity to Greece’s public broadcaster ERT and their opposition to the sudden shutdown blackening the TV screens and silencing the radio programs. In a letter addressed to the Greek ambassador in Portugal, members of the parliament, journalists, academics, writers and other personalities from Portuguese public life , send their solidarity with the Greek people and describe the closure as “unmistakable act of totalitarism”.

Solidarity with the Greek people, for democracy and against the illegal shutdown of public service of ERT

Sir, the Greek Ambassador in Portugal

On the 12th of June, Greece woke up without public radio or television services. On the previous day, the 11th, the government imposed, with only a few hours warning, the “shut down” of the ERT (Greek radio and television services), Greece becoming the only member-state of the European Union to abolish the public service of broadcasting showing a blunt disregard for democracy.

Such measures reflect an unmistakable act of totalitarism, creating an exception state that goes against the basic European principles and ideals and damages the fundamental rights of the Greek people.
The public broadcasting service is essential to the Greek people, the Greek democracy and in general, to democracy in Europe. To accept this situation is to accept the premise and the anti-democratic threat of blackmail imposed on the media and the freedom of the press.
The subscribers send out this letter as a firm condemnation of the Greek`s government decision and a demand for respect of the democratic values sustained by the existence of a public broadcasting service. Only democracy can defend the european peoples against austerity and authoritarianism.

The undersigned
Alexandre Quintanilha (university professor)
Alberto Arons de Carvalho (university professor)
Alberto Costa (member of parliament)
Alberto Martins (member of parliament)
Alfredo Maia (journalist, president of Journalist Worker’s Union)
Ana Goulart (journalist)
Ana Maria Pessoa (professor)
António Almeida Calheiros (university faculty)
António Pedro Vasconcelos (film director)
Boaventura de Sousa Santos (university professor)
Carla Baptista (university professor)
Camilo Azevedo (worker’s union of RTP)
Catarina Martins (member of parliament)
Cecília Honório (member of parliament)
Conceição Matos Abrantes (retiree)
Daniel Oliveira (journalist)
Diana Andringa (journalist)
Domingos Abrantes (retiree)
Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues (member of parliament)
Estrela Serrano (investigadora)
Fernando Correia (journalist, university professor, member of RTP)
Fernando Valdez (journalist)
Francisco Louçã (university professor)
Hélder Costa (theatre director)
Helena Sousa Freitas (journalist)
Inês de Medeiros (member of parliament)
Inês Quintanilha (History professor)
Jacinto Lucas Pires (writter)
Joana Lopes (Philosophy professor)
João Bau (science investigator)
João Villalobos Filipe (militar de Abril)
João Salaviza (film director)
Jorge Lacão (member of parliament)
Jorge Sampaio (lawyer; former President of Portuguese Republic)
José Azeredo Lopes (professor universitário)
José Barahona (film director)
José Rebelo (university professor)
José Ribeiro e Castro (member of parliament)
José Luiz Fernandes (journalist)
José Manuel Pureza (university professor)
José Maneira (science investigator)
José Mário Branco (musician)
José Maria Castro Caldas (economist)
José Vera Jardim (jurist)
José Vítor Malheiros (columnist)
Lídia Fernandes (science investigator
Luís Fazenda (member of parliament)
Luís Humberto Teixeira (translator)
Luísa Teotónio Pereira (development technician)
Manuel Alegre (writter)
Manuel Carvalho da Silva (former President of CGTP worker’s union)
Manuel Macaísta Malheiros (jurist)
Manuel Maria Carrilho (university professor)
Manuel Mozos (film director)
Margarida Maria Martins da Graça (professor)
Maria Augusta Babo (university professor)
Maria de Lurdes Afonso Lopes (medical doctor)
Maria Susete Abreu (business manager)
Mário Pimenta (university professor)
Mário Tomé (militar de Abril)
Miguel Cardina (historian)
Natal Vaz (journalist)
Nuno Ramos de Almeida (journalist)
Orlando César (journalist)
Oscar Mascarenhas (journalist)
Pedro Delgado Alves (university professor)
Pedro Diniz de Sousa (science investigator)
Pedro Rodrigues (cultural producer)
Pedro Sousa Pereira (worker’s union of Agência Lusa)
Ramiro António Soares Rodrigues (retiree)
Ricardo Alves (professor)
Rita Veloso (faculty of Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa)
Ruben de Carvalho (journalist)
Rui Nunes (worker’s union of Agência Lusa)
Sandra Monteiro (journalist)
Sérgio Sousa Pinto (member of parliament)
Sofia Andringa (science investigator)
Tiago Ivo Cruz
Vasco Lourenço (militar de Abril)
Vítor Dias

See letter in Portuguese here

Thanks so much to Joana for sending this letter to KTG and also for the full translation 🙂